The ABCs of SBC – Details, episodes & analysis

How can behavioural data science improve social and behaviour change (SBC) programs? Where do machine learning and AI genuinely add value? And what can goat markets teach us about human behaviour?

In this episode, we explore the emerging field of behavioural data science: how it reveals patterns, frictions, and hidden levers in datasets that weren’t necessarily collected with human behaviour in mind.

Recorded at the Behavioural Horizons Workshop at UNICEF’s Office of Strategy and Evidence (Innocenti) in Florence, we hear from behavioural scientists, data scientists, and humanitarian practitioners working at the frontier. They share why better data starts with better questions, why context and culture still matter in a world of algorithms, and how behavioural data science can narrow the gap between evidence, decisions, and people’s lived realities. It’s a candid look at the opportunities, risks, and human choices that determine whether behavioural data science can help drive meaningful behaviour change.

You’ll hear from:

• Benjamin Hickler, UNICEF Office of Strategy and Evidence, Innocenti
• Luke Montuori, Senior Psychometrician
•  Rebecca Moreno Jimenez, Innovation Team, UNHCR
•  Rafael Batista, Princeton University
•  Chiara Cappellini, Behavioural Science Group, UAE
•  Alexandra DeFilippo, Sistema Futura
•  Patrick Forscher, Busara Center for Behavioural Science

Resources:

• Learn more about UNICEF Innocenti (https://www.unicef.org/innocenti/) 
• Learn more about UNICEF BIRD Lab (https://www.unicefbirdlab.org/) 

The views and opinions expressed by the contributors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of UNICEF or any entities they represent. The content here is for information purposes only.

The ABCs of SBC is hosted by Qali Id and produced and developed by UNICEF in partnership with Common Thread.

Check out UNICEF’s latest publication on Social and Behaviour Change, Hidden in Plain Sight, a celebration of the everyday heroes on the frontlines of public health outbreaks, or the first publication, Why don’t you just behave! For more information about UNICEF SBC, check out the programme guidance.

We care about what you think — you can share your thoughts on the podcast using this feedback form. For all other inquiries, please contact sbc@unicef.org.

For generations, harmful practices such as female genital mutilation and child marriage have been justified as traditions of identity and belonging, and have, at times, been linked to misinterpretations of religious text – even as they cause life long harm. Today, faith leaders across Africa and the Middle East are reshaping these beliefs from within their own communities, using their moral authority and influence to redefine these traditions and protect the next generation.

In this episode, Qali Id speaks with faith leaders and UNICEF specialists from Uganda, The Gambia, and Iraq to explore how faith engagement is helping end harmful practices, in particular FGM. From sermons that reinterpret religious teachings, to interfaith alliances confronting resistance, to tea-circle conversations that replace top-down campaigns, this discussion reveals how transformation takes root when it begins within communities themselves.

You’ll hear from:

• Sheikh Abdallah Sabila, Imam and advocate from Uganda
• Dr. Nassim Majidi, Director and Co-founder of Samuel Hall, Kenya
• Momat Jallow, SBC Specialist at UNICEF The Gambia
• Hadeer Albo Heae, SBC Manager at UNICEF Iraq

Resources:

• UNICEF Faith Engagement guide on Harmful Practices, developed in collaboration with Religious for Peace and Samuel Hall
• Do you want to learn more on how does Social and Behaviour Change supports interventions in Child Protection? Tune in to our ABCs of SBC podcast’s episode on SBC in Social Norms and Harmful Practices, SBC in Preventing Violence Against Girls, Boys and Women, and SBC in Online Child Protection.

The views and opinions expressed by the contributors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of UNICEF or any entities they represent. The content here is for information purposes only.

The ABCs of SBC is hosted by Qali Id and produced and developed by UNICEF in partnership with Common Thread.

Check out UNICEF’s latest publication on Social and Behaviour Change, Hidden in Plain Sight, a celebration of the everyday heroes on the frontlines of public health outbreaks, or the first publication, Why don’t you just behave! For more information about UNICEF SBC, check out the programme guidance.

We care about what you think — you can share your thoughts on the podcast using this feedback form. For all other inquiries, please contact sbc@unicef.org.

Systems - you may not see them or feel them but they’re there. When vaccines feel out of reach or voting too arduous a task, it means our systems may need some TLC, R&D and perhaps, SBC?

If you’ve ever wondered about the systems that get vaccines to your arm, mail to your door, and food on your plate - this episode is for you. Qali speaks with Vincent Petit, Global Lead of Social and Behaviour Change (SBC) at UNICEF on why SBC is key to strengthening our systems and preparing for the crises to come. 

Resources (in order of mention)

• Pandemic preparedness and COVID-19: an exploratory analysis of infection and fatality rates, and contextual factors associated with preparedness in 177 countries, from Jan 1, 2020, to Sept 30, 2021
• System Strengthening

Keep an eye our for the launch of UNICEF SBC’s upcoming magazine on sbcguidance.org or follow Vincent on LinkedIn for updates.

The views and opinions expressed by the contributors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of UNICEF or any entities they represent. The content here is for information purposes only.

The ABCs of SBC is hosted by Qali Id and produced and developed by UNICEF in partnership with Common Thread.

Check out UNICEF’s latest publication on Social and Behaviour Change, Hidden in Plain Sight, a celebration of the everyday heroes on the frontlines of public health outbreaks, or the first publication, Why don’t you just behave! For more information about UNICEF SBC, check out the programme guidance.

We care about what you think — you can share your thoughts on the podcast using this feedback form. For all other inquiries, please contact sbc@unicef.org.

Every year, world leaders convene at the UN Climate Change Conference to discuss the urgency of climate change and the need for equitable, people-centred solutions. Could Social and Behaviour Change (SBC) have the chops to tackle such a massive challenge? Can SBC shed some light on the age-old debate on individual change versus system change to reduce emissions? 

In this episode, Qali speaks with experts to understand what SBC can tell us about how to navigate an issue that affects us all, but certainly not in the same ways. 

Guests (in order of appearance)

• Mónica Wills-Silva, Director of International Programmes EMEA at the Behavioural Insights Team
• Kash Ramli, Senior Advisor for Behavioral Science at UNICEF
• Xaher Gul, Public Health Physician and Development Practitioner
• Jon Bonifacio, Environmental Activist and National Coordinator of Kalikasan People's Network for the Environment
• Georgina Avlonitis, Urban Ecologist and Programme Manager at UNEP

Resources (in order of mention)

• Climate Change Fact sheet (WHO)
• António Guterres’s Speech at COP27
• How to build a Net Zero society
• William Ruto’s Speech at COP28
• Kalikasan People's Network for the Environment

The views and opinions expressed by the contributors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of UNICEF or any entities they represent. The content here is for information purposes only.

The ABCs of SBC is hosted by Qali Id and produced and developed by UNICEF in partnership with Common Thread.

Check out UNICEF’s latest publication on Social and Behaviour Change, Hidden in Plain Sight, a celebration of the everyday heroes on the frontlines of public health outbreaks, or the first publication, Why don’t you just behave! For more information about UNICEF SBC, check out the programme guidance.

We care about what you think — you can share your thoughts on the podcast using this feedback form. For all other inquiries, please contact sbc@unicef.org.

Social and Behaviour Change (SBC) strategies have a proven track record in influencing positive choices, from healthy eating to civic engagement. But what about a deeply entrenched and nuanced social issue like violence against girls, boys and women.

In this episode, we delve into the complexities of this issue and explore existing SBC interventions working to dismantle these harmful norms. Join Qali on a journey from Honduras to South Africa, as she dives deep into the trenches with experts who are on the ground, working to address the root causes of domestic violence.

Please be advised: There will be mentions of violence throughout this episode.

Guests (in order of appearance)

• Mónica Wills-Silva, Director of International Programmes EMEA at the Behavioural Insights Team
• Garth Japhet, CEO of Heartlines
• Laura de Molière, former Head of Behavioural Science for the UK Government’s Cabinet Office

Resources (in order of mention)

• Combatting gender-based violence during the pandemic
• Promoting help-seeking behaviours among survivors of violence in Central America
• Reducing victim dropout in criminal proceedings in Chile
• Groundbreaking research on WhatsApp chatbot to reduce intimate partner violence published in PLOS
• Heartlines 
• Soul City
• Fathers Matter 
• Fathers Matter Film Series 
• Fathers Matter WhatsApp

The views and opinions expressed by the contributors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of UNICEF or any entities they represent. The content here is for information purposes only.

The ABCs of SBC is hosted by Qali Id and produced and developed by UNICEF in partnership with Common Thread.

Check out UNICEF’s latest publication on Social and Behaviour Change, Hidden in Plain Sight, a celebration of the everyday heroes on the frontlines of public health outbreaks, or the first publication, Why don’t you just behave! For more information about UNICEF SBC, check out the programme guidance.

We care about what you think — you can share your thoughts on the podcast using this feedback form. For all other inquiries, please contact sbc@unicef.org.

Sure, Social and Behaviour Change (SBC) can help people make healthier food choices and complete important civic processes like voting or registration. But what can SBC do in moments of duress? When conflict erupts? When a natural disaster strikes? When a new virus breaks loose? Does SBC have a role to play in a rapidly unfolding emergency? Can it serve and protect the communities most affected by these emergencies?

In this episode, Qali speaks to SBC practitioners who have responded to emergencies from Lebanon to Mozambique to understand whether SBC can truly serve vulnerable populations in humanitarian emergencies.

Guests (in order of appearance)

• Luca Solimeo, Chief of Social and Behaviour Change at UNICEF Lebanon
• Xaher Gul, Public Health Physician and Development Practitioner 
• Mónica Wills-Silva, Director of International Programmes EMEA at the Behavioural Insights Team
• Naureen Naqvi, Lead SBC Specialist in Humanitarian Action at UNICEF
• Mariana Palavra, Social and Behaviour Change Specialist - Emergency Response Team (ERT) at UNICEF

Resources (in order of mention)

• Leveraging behavioural insights to build lasting peace - BIT Radio Shows in Northern Nigeria
• Mozambique: Supporting social mobilizers to reach affected communities with life-saving information 
• Attacks on Health Workers During the 10th Ebola Response in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
• Bringing safer burial rituals to Ebola outbreak countries
• How the Fight Against Ebola Tested a Culture’s Traditions
• UNICEF’s SBC in Emergencies tools 

The views and opinions expressed by the contributors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of UNICEF or any entities they represent. The content here is for information purposes only.

The ABCs of SBC is hosted by Qali Id and produced and developed by UNICEF in partnership with Common Thread.

Check out UNICEF’s latest publication on Social and Behaviour Change, Hidden in Plain Sight, a celebration of the everyday heroes on the frontlines of public health outbreaks, or the first publication, Why don’t you just behave! For more information about UNICEF SBC, check out the programme guidance.

We care about what you think — you can share your thoughts on the podcast using this feedback form. For all other inquiries, please contact sbc@unicef.org.

Social and Behaviour Change (SBC) brings together a variety of tools to shift the way people and societies behave. When applied to policy, it’s helped reduce traffic deaths. When brought into clinics, it’s helped tuberculosis patients complete their treatments. When brought to US college campuses, it can even help explain why students won’t stop binge drinking. In this episode, Qali speaks to SBC practitioners at UNICEF and beyond about behavioural theory and the power of social norms and how to leverage them for positive change.

More resources on Antanas Mockus:

• Academic turns city into a social experiment
• Women party as city's men are curfewed
• The ‘Cop in your Head’ or the Clown in the Street: Antanas Mockus and the Theatre of Civic Culture 

Guests

• Mónica Wills-Silva, Director of International Programmes EMEA at the Behavioural Insights Team
• Xaher Gul, Public Health Physician and Development Practitioner 
• Naureen Naqvi, Lead SBC Specialist in Humanitarian Action at UNICEF
• Laura de Molière, former Head of Behavioural Science for the UK Government’s Cabinet Office
• Deborah Prentice, Vice Chancellor of the University of Cambridge 

Resources

• Tuberculosis in Moldova - UNDP
• Pedagogy of the Oppressed
• Exposing Pluralistic Ignorance to Reduce Alcohol Use Among College Students
• Statistics on Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)
• Social Norms Tool

The views and opinions expressed by the contributors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of UNICEF or any entities they represent. The content here is for information purposes only.

The ABCs of SBC is hosted by Qali Id and produced and developed by UNICEF in partnership with Common Thread.

Check out UNICEF’s latest publication on Social and Behaviour Change, Hidden in Plain Sight, a celebration of the everyday heroes on the frontlines of public health outbreaks, or the first publication, Why don’t you just behave! For more information about UNICEF SBC, check out the programme guidance.

We care about what you think — you can share your thoughts on the podcast using this feedback form. For all other inquiries, please contact sbc@unicef.org.

The ABCs of SBC is a new podcast from UNICEF that explores what Social and Behaviour Change (SBC) is and whether it can move the needle forward on some of the world's most complex challenges. Tune in weekly to uncover the limits and possibilities of SBC  — without the complexity, while on your commute.
 
Stay tuned for the first episode launching March 18th.

The views and opinions expressed by the contributors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of UNICEF or any entities they represent. The content here is for information purposes only.

The ABCs of SBC is hosted by Qali Id and produced and developed by UNICEF in partnership with Common Thread.

Check out UNICEF’s latest publication on Social and Behaviour Change, Hidden in Plain Sight, a celebration of the everyday heroes on the frontlines of public health outbreaks, or the first publication, Why don’t you just behave! For more information about UNICEF SBC, check out the programme guidance.

We care about what you think — you can share your thoughts on the podcast using this feedback form. For all other inquiries, please contact sbc@unicef.org.

Sudan is living through war and mass displacement. Yemen faces one of the world’s longest-running humanitarian crises. And in Moldova, far from active conflict but still grappling with inequality, Roma communities remain excluded from the very systems meant to serve them. Across these vastly different contexts, one question emerges: how do communities themselves step in to sustain and shape the systems around them?

In this episode, host Qali Id speaks with UNICEF SBC specialists from Sudan, Yemen, and Moldova to explore the unexpected power of trust, local leadership, and cultural respect in strengthening systems. From youth-run resistance committees, to volunteer health networks, to trusted Roma leaders bridging gaps in access, this conversation highlights how Social and Behaviour Change (SBC) enables communities not just to survive—but to lead the way toward more inclusive and resilient futures.

You'll hear from:

• Maha Abasher Khalid Osman, SBC Specialist at UNICEF Sudan
• Cristina Stratulat, SBC Officer at UNICEF Moldova
•  Abdullah Alshehari, SBC Specialist at UNICEF Yemen

Resources:

• Harnessing community engagement and multisectoral SBC approaches to address vaccine hesitancy in Moldova | UNICEF Moldova
• Home | UNICEF SBC GUIDANCE 

Related episodes:

• Episode 5 - SBC in Support of System Strengthening (Apple) (Spotify) 
• Episode 11 - Community Delivery Platforms (Apple) (Spotify)

The views and opinions expressed by the contributors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of UNICEF or any entities they represent. The content here is for information purposes only.

The ABCs of SBC is hosted by Qali Id and produced and developed by UNICEF in partnership with Common Thread.

Check out UNICEF’s latest publication on Social and Behaviour Change, Hidden in Plain Sight, a celebration of the everyday heroes on the frontlines of public health outbreaks, or the first publication, Why don’t you just behave! For more information about UNICEF SBC, check out the programme guidance.

We care about what you think — you can share your thoughts on the podcast using this feedback form. For all other inquiries, please contact sbc@unicef.org.

The internet is where kids learn, play, and connect, but it’s also where they can be bullied, exploited, surveilled, and manipulated. As digital threats evolve faster than the systems designed to protect children, how do we keep them safe in a world that’s always online?

From outdated legal frameworks to overwhelmed parents and disconnected protection services, this episode highlights not just the risks children face online, but the opportunities to involve them and their caregivers as co-designers of safer digital spaces, and how SBC offers a way forward.

You'll hear from:

• Afrooz Kaviani Johnson, Child Protection Specialist at UNICEF Headquarters
• Mahwish Saeed Syed, SBC Officer at UNICEF Pakistan
• Saji Thomas, Chief of Child Protection at UNICEF Gulf Area Office

Resources:

• “Digitial Parenting” on the Parent Hub
• Explore how UNICEF is tackling violence and exploitation in the digital environment, including a range of actions for parents, governments and companies to keep children safe online.

The views and opinions expressed by the contributors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of UNICEF or any entities they represent. The content here is for information purposes only.

The ABCs of SBC is hosted by Qali Id and produced and developed by UNICEF in partnership with Common Thread.

Check out UNICEF’s latest publication on Social and Behaviour Change, Hidden in Plain Sight, a celebration of the everyday heroes on the frontlines of public health outbreaks, or the first publication, Why don’t you just behave! For more information about UNICEF SBC, check out the programme guidance.

We care about what you think — you can share your thoughts on the podcast using this feedback form. For all other inquiries, please contact sbc@unicef.org.